NSD is one of the largest archives for research data of its kind and provides data to researchers and students in Norway and abroad. Additionally, NSD is a resource centre, which assists researchers with regard to data gathering, data analysis, and issues of methodology, privacy and research ethics. The main objective is to improve possibilities and working conditions for empirical research that is primarily dependent on the access to data. To fulfil this objective NSD works to reduce financial, technical, legal and administrative barriers between users and data resources.